Anatomy of Hootsuite’s Best Tweet

As a social media company, we send between 170 and 200 tweets every week. We’re always trying to make our content better, so it’s important to look at what we did well—so we can do it again.

Here, we analyze one of our top-performing tweets from early 2018 and breakdown why it was a success. But first, the tweet itself…

At 145 retweets and 296 likes, this tweet performed well above @Hootsuite’s average. Here are the six key elements that made it a success.

Bonus:Download the free strategy guide that reveals how Hootsuite grew our Twitter following to over 8 million users and learn how you can put the tactics to work for your business.

1. Timing

For this tweet, March 24, 2018 was obviously the date of Earth Hour. We chose to post at 1:15 p.m. because, after conducting a series of tests, we found that it is the best time to tweet on Saturday.

Our recommendation? Run tests to determine the best time tweet for your brand.

2. Compelling image

For our Earth Hour tweet, we posted a simple image with useful information for participating in the event—the date and time.

If you take a look at Hootsuite’s Twitter feed, every single published tweet includes an image. We do this not only because visuals stand out in a feed, but because media can add more context and information to your posts.

3. The right user(s) is tagged

When you tag a user (such as another brand or influencer), they may respond with an @mention or retweet if the content is relevant to them and their audience (it should be!). This kind of endorsement from a Twitter user with a similar audience to your own can gain you new followers very quickly.

Just be selective about who you tag. Are they involved in the event or announcement you’re making? Would your audience understand the association? The answer to both questions should be “yes.”

Bonus:Download the free strategy guide that reveals how Hootsuite grew our Twitter following to over 8 million users and learn how you can put the tactics to work for your business.

4. Concise copy

Our tweet gets straight to the point: join Earth Hour by unplugging. There was no over-explaining, no jargon (simple words only!), and a clear call-to-action.

When writing a tweet, the shorter the better. Remember that most people scroll through their feeds quickly. Even though you technically have 280 characters to play with, you should use as few words as possible to convey your message.

At Hootsuite, we’ve tested time and time again, and have found that keeping tweets short is better for click-throughs and shares.

5. Conversational tone

At Hootsuite, we aim for a light and conversational tone on social media. We kept it simple in this tweet, using emoji to stand in for entire words—love, earth, and peace. This keeps the message short and sweet, and also adds a bit of personality.

Don’t be a robot. Put a human voice behind your Twitter handle. Try to sound the same way you would over the phone or in-person.

6. A popular hashtag for an event our audience cares about

We chose #EarthHour to point to a cause we believe matters to our audience. And as a certified B Corporation, the movement aligns with our own brand values.